It is my first time to participate in the Shadow Shot Sunday meme and I am hoping that my entry is good enough to be considered (grin). I decided to make this instead of just posting the photos plainly. You can leave your comments, criticisms and tips and I would highly appreciate them all. I don't have a high-end camera so these 2 photos were taken using an old point-and-shoot cam.

That's my Mom and my daughter Roey and yes, this was taken out my archive.

My Mama will always be my BFF...She may no longer be with us physically but her kind deeds and words just like her shadow will always be remembered.

If last week's entry was for my elder daughter Keanna, this time it is for Roey. In this post you'll see her different faces wearing White (with a little of Pink too) and how she played with her stuffed teddy bear. =)
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I’ve always consider myself a wise shopper but sometimes I get a little careless and becomes a little impulsive. That could be because shopping rarely happens to me. And rarely it is for moi. More often than not, I only buy things for my kids.

It has been known to everyone that I just got back into blogging and

is trying

to learn and earn from it too. Aside from monetary reasons I would like to widen my horizons and gain friends I can treasure even if it’s just through the blogging community. I’ve wanted to buy myself a new camera, a new bag, a pair of shoes or sandals perhaps and have my hair straightened and cut. These are just a few that I missed for myself for sometime now. But now that I’m actively back into blogging, I’ll definitely try to save with any amount I’ll earn so I can perhaps have these things bought and done. I’m gonna start with the bag. I really am not brand conscious and I noticed that I have had just few small bags since I was schooling. Now that one

fab Mom(Cherry) is giving away this CK bag, I’m joining! It is my first time to join this contest and I’m positively hoping I could win so I’ll have a bigger bag for my stuff or for baby stuff that I have to bring most of the time. LoL!

For those who’d like to join in as well. Go ahead since the contest has easy-to-do-tasks and will run until April 10. Here are photos of the said bag up for grabs!

I thought I would not be able to make it but thank you for the extended deadline. I am but excited to join since I saw Pinay Mommies Community from my friend AC. So, here is more of me:

Born in the month of September (so is why SeptemberCharm) as Stephanie S. Cruz. People call me “Phanie” or “Panyang”. I grew up in a very simple life. I love pink, blue and green. I used to draw, dance and declaim (I don’t have a good singing voice that is why) and join contests back in grade school. My Dad a.k.a “Kano” is half American. Sadly, he didn’t get to meet his father who hailed from Ohio. Daddy passed away when I was just 7yo and in first grade. I studied for 3 years in my Mama’s province in Buhi, Camarines Sur and I sure have great memories of my stay there.

It was back in High School where I met the father of my lovely daughters. I have already promised to myself that I will not have any BF until I graduated in HS so even after our exchange of love notes, I rejected Ronald. He never talked to me again.

I took up BS Customs Administration in PMI Colleges in Manila but only for a year. I had to stop because of financial instability and Mama got sick. I worked as a personal assistant to an Avon beauty manager to help Mama. After that, I decided to pursue my studies but shifted to BS Business Admin major in Management. I was a working student while Mama continued her small sari-sari store and sewing services after her operation. I worked as a service crew in several fast food chains and as an usherette in SM City movie house. That’s where Ronald and I met again. The rest is our love story.

I am now a mother of two wonderful kids named Keanna Steffi and Haley Roneese. They were born 7 years apart. Kikay is turning 9 and Roey is almost 17 months now.

I worked as a Technical Customer Care Representative at Convergys Services Phils for almost 6 years. That is where I’ve learned a lot about the net. I started my Septembercharm blog last 2008 just to share my thoughts as a daughter, a mom, wife and friend.The posts that I have back then were mostly about Keanna until she asked me to create a blog of her own which gave birth to The Sweet Life of A Big Sister .

I resigned from IBM Business Services as an HR Generalist (agent) just recently. I am now loving and living the life of SAHM. A tough decision to make but I know, I will soon see the benefits of it. I then decided to try a new hobby, sewing! Everything about the new hobby will be shared in Stitches Of Life blog. My inspiration is my Mama who passed away last December. It broke me, but thanks to my loving family, relatives and friends that I still look at life in a very positive way. I am still learning a lot in terms of being a hands-on-mom, multi tasking (it’s hard to do this at home than at work, honestly!) and blogging. I just wish that I would be able to impart or share something of value to you fellow mommies, because I am overwhelmed by tips, opportunities and friendship that you all offer. Thank you! And, KUDOS to all of us here in the Weekend Blog Follower Caravan.

I have an almost 17 month old toddler and I love the fact that she will definitely try any food you give her. I am not sure if it's true that your baby will love eating anything you've craved or favorite during pregnancy but I somehow see it in my daughter. I loved and drooled over buttered sweet corn, Buko (coconut) Pandan shake and Fuji apples while I was pregnant of her.

This photo shows her first try eating corn on a cob and surprisingly, she knows how to hold and munch it.

It was just very recent when I brought both my kids to a dental clinic. Since we have HMO coverage, the three of us can have free cleaning and a limited tooth filling. My elder daughter had 4 fillings in her molars so we had to pay for the excess. It is but alright since I had it reimbursed afterwards. My younger daughter just had her teeth cleaned in a very mild

manner. The dentist’s assistant had to ask me to carry her in my lap to clean her teeth since she is just 1 year old. As for me, I had my teeth cleaned and had fillings too.

I am now a little strict with how both my kids take care of their teeth. I am actually comparing the mommy me when I only have one kid. She had dental issues when she was a little younger and lost several teeth at an early age. My toddler, of course may have baby teeth but she has to learn how to take care of it since these primary teeth will eventually be replaced by the permanent ones. I regret that I wasn't able to take care of mine, some permanent teeth that is. Now, I have to wear dentures in replacement of those that I lost.

How awful, isn't it? Anyways, I am a believer that having healthy baby teeth is fundamental to each child's overall health, wellness and development. I may be having a hard time cleaning the teeth of my toddler but it is really necessary for her to get the habit of it. She may not coordinate most of the time but Mommy always succeeds. =)

And, did you know that baby teeth (just like with adults) should be brushed too w

ith a pea-sized toothpaste? I use a brand intended for babies which claims to have Xylitol in it. It is said to have no fluoride in it and so is okay even if swallowed. It is Strawberry flavored and can be used by kids up to age 6. So why did I bring my kids to the dentist? Aside from the fact that we would like to grab the HMO benefits, I'd like my girls to shrug off the fear of dentists and establish a long-term hygiene too. My elder daughter is so afraid of a dentist which is why I'm planning to bring her more often. Imagine an 8 year old crying like a baby while dental fillings are being applied? Good thing that Dr. Cathy is very nice. She even

gave my daughter Keanna a new purple toothbrush to use.

Now that we had our teeth cleaned and filled...our next step to further prevent tooth decay is a balance diet. As many of us know, diet and nutrition also affects oral health. I am now a stay-at-home-mom so I should be very strict with the food that my kids eat. I'd like to start by limiting sugary foods and drinks. This may be a little hard for my 8 year old though since she needs to gain weight but I think proper guidance will help us win this. She brushes her teeth 3x/day. By the way, I also found out that food rich in carbohydrates can cause tooth decay. With that being mentioned, this is definitely a challenge. Ha-ha!

It has been so long since my last post and I had a joke that this is sort of a resurrection in blogging. A lot of you may wonder why I had to be “gone” for a while. Let me tell you a short but sad story…

October of last year, we’ve noticed that my Mom had a drastic weight loss. Her appetite slowly faded. She would only go for oat meals and the likes. First, she was told that it is just Dyspepsia and even took the medicines prescribed to her. After a month and an ultrasound, it was a mass. Came November 13, she was confined. We brought her to a near and considered one of the best public hospitals in our area. After several tests and endoscopy, we found out that my Mom is suffering from Peri Ampullary tumor. The biopsy says it not cancerous but my Mom kept bleeding and an operation can no longer be performed. She passed away just 10 days before Christmas. It was really hard for us, for me especially. I am an only child and lost my Dad since I was just 7yo. I lost my very best friend.

Now, I seemed to have moved on. Not completely but thanks to my kids & hubby who always make me smile and to my friends who has never failed to make me feel valued. I feel uplifted too with all the support I got from my relatives. Remembering the days spent in the hospital has made me realize a lot of things. Not just related to my Mom’s case but also about life itself, the hospital, the doctors, the RNs and the nursing students, medical procedures, even medical uniforms and a lot about healthy living.

As I’ve mentioned, it was a public hospital so we really can’t expect the BEST of it’s facilities and employees. I’ve noticed that there were some unpleasant nurses. The nursing students are all nice but hesitant most of the time, of course. And, it was also noticeable how medical uniform for nurses has evolved. Before, when you say that the person is a nurse, you would only imagine them wearing plain white top and skirt. But now, medical uniforms has improved. In fact, I’ve found out that there were several medical uniform shopsyou can find in several areas that sell cool yet presentable medical scrubs. Not to mention that these medical uniforms online are very much an easy access too. I find the new scrubs to be comfortable to everyone who wears it. I just wish that the hospital would be able to generate funds to improve its facilities and of course, change the old linens they have and so as provide nice medical uniforms to its employees. Anyways, there are plenty of medical scrubs for sale, right? Perhaps by doing so, those unpleasant nurses I came across with may be able to feel and realize how they should value not just their job but also the people who badly needs their help. Some of the employees doesn’t seem to be happy with what they were doing. I may not be able to tell or determine the exact reason why but for sure there were many factors that affect how they perform and how they react. And mind you, grooming can be a factor too.

I was supposedly to include a short video clip as a tribute to my Mom but I haven’t finished editing it yet. Plus, I need to find a software where the file can be converted to an extension that Blogger, YouTube and Facebook can understand. I guess I will have to post it in my next blog.